IVAN MARCHUK AND MINISTERS OF CULTURE OF THE LITHUANIAN REPUBLIC AND UKRAINE – SARUNAS BIRUTIS AND LEONID NOVOKHATKO, HOLDING A CATALOGUE IVAN MARCHUK. YESTERDAY, TODAY… FOREVER THAT WAS PUBLISHED IN RECORD TIME (ONE MONTH OF INTENSE WORK) BY THE PUBLISHING HOUSE “DNIPRO” IN THREE LANGUAGES: UKRAINIAN, ENGLISH, AND LITHUANIAN

SKAZHY MENI PRAVDU (TELL ME THE TRUTH). 1997

V DOROZI (ON THE ROAD). 1990

Monographic exhibition of the famous contemporary artist, a member of the Golden Guild of the Roman Academy of Contemporary Art Ivan Marchuk launched in the Lithuanian Art Museum in Vilnius. Radziwill Palace that is now hosting the exhibition of 67 paintings of the great master has not seen such a great multitude of visitors for a long time. Professional artists and art historians, journalists, members of diplomatic missions of the EU countries accredited in Lithuania, representatives of the Ukrainian Diaspora, numerous fans of fine art attended the exhibition.

Significantly, the initiators of the event are Lithuanians, in particular Ivan Bukavin – citizen of Lithuania of Ukrainian origin, the administration of the Lithuanian Art Museum. The financial and organizational assistance was provided by the Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture, and the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Lithuania. Ukraine International Airlines transported the art works of the artist from Kyiv to Vilnius on special conditions.

The artist noted that it was the first time that he presented his art works abroad with the assistance of the state authorities of Ukraine and, symbolically, the exhibition is taking place in Lithuania, where in November of this year the European integration aspirations of Ukrainians can become a reality.

The paintings representing five out of ten cycles of the artistic genius of the Ukrainian artist introduce the European community to Marchuk’s ideological system rooted in deep traditions and high aesthetics. The artistic heritage of the master reveals powerful reserves of folk wisdom, taken, it seems, from the depths of the “golden age” of mankind. According to critics, by going deep into naive Marchuk pointed the way out of a civilization dead end back in the Soviet times.

Paintings from the series “Holos Moiei Dushi” (The Voice of My Soul) have a special place in the exhibition. Each of the paintings from this series is a parable and a revelation, a formula of the universe and a key to its understanding. The works from the series “Pohliad u Bezmezhnist” (Looking into Infinity) open new horizons of the universe…

Visitors can explore the Marchuk’s innovative artistic method, which radically changed the views on the ways and possibilities of creating modern art. Of course, we are talking about quite an original technique – “pliontanism” (from the Ukrainian word “pliontaty” which means to weave, to twist) which is on the verge between the hand-made and the technological and because of the complexity of the filigree execution and labor intensity can never be repeated. Today this dialect Ukrainian word enriched the international language of art and became a collective term for entire ideological and philosophical system created by the outstanding artist.

Normally sensible and moderate Lithuanians were quite emotional about what they saw at the exhibition. Art fans saw their childhood in the Ukrainian landscapes with eye-spots of windows in small huts. Some even said that these were not the Ukrainian landscapes but Lithuanian homes, where it always feels so cozy and warm. One respectable lady, not trying to hide her tears, repeated standing in front of the paintings from “The Voice of My Soul” series that instead of looking at these paintings, one must listen to them… The Minister of Culture of Lithuania also did not hide his emotions. In a guest book of the exhibition Sarunas Birutis wrote: “I am very impressed with your talent. Harmony, music, and extraordinary imagination radiate from your paintings…” He presented the artist with an honorary award of the Ministry.

Leonid Novokhatko, in his turn, said that every progress has its specific authors and implementators and Marchuk is a prominent author, implementator, and spiritual leader of culture and spiritual diplomacy.

It is indisputable that the works of Marchuk serve as a carrier of public diplomacy: they establish a place of Ukrainian art in the European cultural space, and the place of the European art in the context of the world culture. The exhibition in Vilnius will run until December 15 and there is a hope that it will continue its journey to museums of other European countries.

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